blueberry & lemon mascarpone ice cream

To say it was a beautiful day would not begin to explain it. It was that day when the end of summer intersects perfectly with the start of fall. — Ann Patchett

Here in Montréal, blueberry season signals the approach of the end of summer. Although there are still many more warm weeks ahead, the slightest bit of heed will reveal that all of nature has already begun conspiring to bid farewell to summer. What better way to celebrate than with blueberry ice cream?

In a large bowl, combine cream and arrowroot powder, whisk well to ensure there are no lumps.

Add blueberries, sugar, cheese, lemon juice and zest and blend using an immersion blender until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the cylinder of an ice cream maker and churn as per the manufacturer’s instructions. (I churn for 25 minutes.)

Once the churning is complete, store in a freezer-safe container with an airtight lid.

*Using arrowroot powder tends to give the ice cream a softer texture, a trick I learned from my friends over at The Healthy Sins. You can see their recipe for a fantastic vegan lavender ice cream here, along with some absolutely impeccable food photography.

blueberries always signal the beginning of the end of summer for me too. i think that association comes from the time i spent in alaska, where the berries ripened late summer and the bears would gorge themselves before hibernation. this ice cream looks like something i could gorge myself on before a northern winter!